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Installing A Paddle Shifter Into A Third-Gen Camaro - Gears At Your Fingertips

01 Our starting point: an '84 Z28's perfectly functional, but decidedly old-school, console shift lever. All of this, as well as the shifter cable itself, will be excised in favor of the Smart Shift box, along with its keypad controller, mounted in a custom panel.

02 The Smart Shift portion of this install comes in a single box: control box and wiring, actuator, actuator mounting hardware, and shifter keypad. The chrome finish pictured here has been discontinued in favor of a slicker-and easier to keep clean-black finish. Installation and functionality are identical.

03 The Smart Shift control box must be placed in a dry location, which is one reason we chose the center console. The box requires a switched power source and ground. Hookups for a dimmer switch and a gear selector display are optional. See the brown wire? This is a brake input wire, which connects to the vehicle's brake light switch. It's a safety feature that ensures shifts into Park or reverse can only be accomplished when the brake pedal is depressed.

04 The other reason for choosing the center console as our mounting location is that it facilitates the wiring process, since we were able to tap into the stock wiring harness for the neutral safety switch and the reverse lights. Hooking up the actuator is as easy as plugging it in; complete instructions for the rest of the wiring are included.

05 As we mentioned, the shifter cable, along with its bracket and shift arm, all must be removed before installing the Smart Shift actuator.

06 When it comes to installing the actuator, Retrotek Speed's directions specify which hardware should be used for each transmission, a 700-R4 in our case. The actuator bracket installs along the transmission pan rail, using the provided hardware. Note the spacers between the bracket and the pan rail. Also note that we've installed the included shift arm.

07 The actuator mounts to the bracket using this stud and jamb-nut setup. The stud must be cut to the proper length, ensuring that the actuator is parallel to the mounting bracket.

08 For our setup, the stud, and thus the actuator, is fastened to hole No. 2; the actuator then swings up towards the shift arm ...

09 ... where the adjustable actuator rod bolts to the shift arm via this heim joint. At this stage, the rod should be adjusted so that the actuator doesn't bottom out at either end ("Park" at one extreme, "1st gear" on the other).

10 Programming, done through the shifter keypad, is actually pretty easy. The keypad must be plugged into the Smart Shift box, and the DIP switches along the edge (arrow) must be configured for your particular transmission. Switches 7 and 8 must be on to indicate programming mode.

11 From here, the procedure is actually pretty simple. The shift arm is manually moved though each gear-make sure the actuator isn't bottoming out and isn't binding. At each gear position, the appropriate button: "P" for park, "D" for drive, etc; is pushed. The LED will flash, at which point you press "S" to save the position. Our shift arm has been moved to first gear. Remember the LED in the last photo? One light indicates first gear, so this position is ready to be saved.

12 We decided to place the keypad in the center console in place of our original shifter. To facilitate this, we made a cardboard template of the console opening, then transferred the pattern to black ABS plastic. Voila, we had a new console top! The keypad mounting bolts run through the bottom and into the keypad bezel.

13 We used the original Torx head screws fasten it all down and match the rest of the cockpit fasteners. The keypad takes the place of a "normal" shift lever, and almost works the same way. To engage Drive or Reverse from Park, you depress the brake pedal and press "S." When the button flashes, it's safe to put the car in gear. Once in motion, you can let the tranny shift itself or do it manually via the keypad.

14 With the Smart Shift portion of this install in place, we moved on the Paddle Shift. The shifter electronics are self-contained and powered by a long-life battery; you'll receive yours pre-programmed to work with your transmission setup. The RF receiver next to the shifter plugs into the keypad. Note Retrotek Speed's new and improved finish on the Smart Shift box and actuator.

15 At this time, the stock Camaro steering wheel won't accommodate the Paddle Shift; a 3-, 5-, 6-, or 9-bolt wheel is needed. We chose a Grant Evolution GT model, PN 1080, and also ordered the appropriate installation kit (PN 3196).

16 Grant's instructions are pretty straightforward, so we'll cut to the chase. The adapter hub and post cover take the place of the stock pieces; the paddle shifter takes the place of the GT adapter and boot, and bolts to the adapter hub. Don't forget the horn button ground wire!

17 The wheel itself, along with the horn button retainer, is then fastened to the Paddle Shift unit using the flat head Allen screws included in the Grant installation kit.

18 In our humble opinion, the final result looks pretty slick, almost like these two were meant to be together. The steering wheel's thumb contours jibe almost perfectly with the shifter paddles. It looks racy, and believe us when we say it feels that way when you grip the wheel and start flipping through the gears.

Project Brutus, our Chevy El Camino project car finally gets it's monster big-block and Turbo 400 transmission installed. We also show you how to check and measure for a custom driveshaft. Only at www.chevyhiperformance.com, the official website for Chevy High Performance Magazine! » Read More